Explaining characters’ motives | English | Quizalize & Oak National Academy

Starter quiz

Put the events of Chapters 1 and 2 in order.
- 1
  
  ⇔
  
  Joseph arrives at the station.
- 2
  
  ⇔
  
  Joseph narrowly avoids being arrested for theft.
- 3
  
  ⇔
  
  Mrs F introduces herself.
- 4
  
  ⇔
  
  They take the bus home through bombed-out streets.
- 5
  
  ⇔
  
  Mrs F explains the rules of the house.
Match the words to their definitions.
- carnage
  
  ⇔
  
  total destruction ✓
- shambolic
  
  ⇔
  
  chaotic ✓
- surreal
  
  ⇔
  
  bizarre and unbelievable ✓
- monosyllabic
  
  ⇔
  
  talking quietly and very little ✓
Which statements are correct based on Chapters 1 and 2?
- Joseph's grandmother could not cope with his behaviour. ✓
- Mrs F let Joseph keep the food he'd stolen.
- Mrs F says Joseph can do what he wants in the house.
- Mrs F and Joseph's grandmother knew each other in the past. ✓
Which of the following clues were included to the historical context of 'When the Sky Falls'?
- an air raid happens
- there are evacuees in the station ✓
- rationing is mentioned ✓
- an air raid siren goes off
Which qualities does Mrs F show in the first two chapters of the book?
- brave ✓
- chatty
- relaxed
- strict ✓
Which of the following are rules in Mrs F's house?
- take off shoes ✓
- only use the sitting room on Sundays ✓
- don't waste water ✓
- don't waste electricity ✓
- only read by candlelight

Exit quiz

Which new character was introduced in Chapter 11?
- Mrs F
- Adonis
- Syd ✓
- Mr Gryce
Which of the following are character traits of Syd?
- talkative ✓
- quiet
- well-spoken ✓
- unkind
Put these events in order to tell the story of Adonis' family.
- 1
  
  ⇔
  
  His son, Malachi, got sick.
- 2
  
  ⇔
  
  Adonis wouldn't let Mrs F help Malachi.
- 3
  
  ⇔
  
  Malachi died.
- 4
  
  ⇔
  
  Adonis' mate was sent to another zoo.
- 5
  
  ⇔
  
  Adonis is withdrawn and alone.
Which of the following has Mrs F done to help Joseph be ready for school?
- found him a uniform ✓
- made him a lunch ✓
- bought him books
- got Syd to help him get there ✓
- woken him up early ✓
Match the words to their meanings.
- motive
  
  ⇔
  
  the reason you do something ✓
- explicit
  
  ⇔
  
  made clear ✓
- infer
  
  ⇔
  
  work out based on evidence ✓
Which of the following are reasons that Joseph may not want to go to school?
- He thinks it will be too easy.
- He has been beaten at school before. ✓
- He struggles with work at school. ✓
- He has been made fun of by teachers at schools before. ✓

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Lesson Details

Key learning points

In the book, Joseph has had very negative experiences of schooling which cause him to be anxious about attending.
When we read, we often think about characters' motives.
We base our understanding of motives partly on what is made explicit by the author.
We may also infer motives based on the characters' actions, our own knowledge and our experiences.

Common misconception

Pupils may believe that finding evidence that shows a person is feeling a certain way is the same as finding the motives behind their actions and feelings.

Ensure pupils are clear that, for instance, finding evidence that a character is sad is different to explaining why they are sad (the motive).

Keywords

Fluency - the ability to read a text accurately, smoothly and with appropriate expression
Motive - a person’s reasons for doing something
Explicit - made clear
Infer - to draw conclusions from information and evidence in a text